Accessory device housing for internal combustion engines



May 21,' 1935. H. CAMINEZ' 2,001,865

ACCESSORY DEVICE HOUSING FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 31, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 21, 1935. H. CAMINEZ 2,001,366

ACCESSORY DEVICE HOUSING FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 31, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Zzza/a (Ea/2W2 Patented May 21, 1935 UNITED STATES ACCESSORY DEVICE HOUSING FOB INTER- NAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Harold Caminez, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application May 31, 1933, Serial No. 673,589 13 Claims. (ci. 123-195) My invention relates to internal combustion engines and the object thereof is to providean improved plan for supporting various accessory devices involved in the operation of and for operat- 5 ing them by the engine. This I accomplish by providing what I call an accessory housing which is designed and adapted to be secured to one end of the crank case of the engine, and which serves as a support for said accessory devices; the housing being, generally speaking, a hollow casting open along the side which is secured to the crank case and having two shafts within the same which are driven from the engine, and which in turn drive accessory devices supported by the housing. The housing and accessories carried thereby therefore constitute in effect a unitary assembly independent of the crank case whereby it is supported, and which may if desired be removed therefrom and replaced thereupon as a single unitary device.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated and hereinafter described and claimed the accessory housing serves as a support for the cooling liquid pump, two lubricating oil pumps; a 5 starting motor, a centrifugal pump or blower which functions as a supercharger, two oil filters,

an electric generator, a magneto for the ignition system, and for two cam shaft driving members for the cam shafts of the two cylinder blocks of the twelve cylinder engine for which the housing,

is designed. It will be appreciated, however, that the number and specific character of the accessories thus supported may be varied, and that my invention is equally useful with other types of engine than the multiple cylinder engine having inclined cylinder blocks to which it is shown as applied.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification and wherein the preferred form of my invention is illustrated:

Figure l is a view showing my improved accessory housing upon a central plane at right angles to the engine of which it forms a part, the plane of the section being indicated by the broken line l-i, Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a view showing the same upon a vertical central plane extending longitudinally of the engine and indicated by the line 2-2, Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings for a more complete understanding of my invention, .the accessory housing wherein my invention consists is a hollow structure separate from but which is adapted to be secured to the rear end. of the crank case 5 of the engine, the vertical plane of the rear end of the crank case and of the open front sideof the housing being at 6 and the same being fastened to the crank case by bolts, as many as may be necessary, extending through a peripheral flange of the housing and into the crank case, and which bolts are indicated by the numerals I.

The lower part of the housing has an internal wall 8 and a transverse support 9 which two are provided with seats wherein bearings [0, H for the two ends of a lower accessory device driving shaft I! are supported, and which shaft is provided with a spur gear l3 and a bevel gear H; the gears being shown as carried by sleeves l5, l6 splined interiorly and engaging splines upon the shaft, so that the three form in efiect a unitary structure. The rear end of the shaft l2 has a clutch I'I whereby the same may be driven by a starting motor 3 to start the engine, the motor being supported in an annular seat l9 provided in the rear wall of the accessory housing. The splined sleeves l5, l6 are heldin place upon the splined shaft l2 between the inner races of the bearings [0, II by a nut 20 at the front end of the shaft.

The gear l3 and shaft l2 are driven by a gear 2| fast upon the rear end of the crank shaft 22 of the engine which, as usual, is supported in bearings which are supported by transverse webs 23 within the crank case 5; and the bevel gear l4 meshes with and drives three bevel gears 24, 25 and 26 upon the inner ends of the driving shafts of three accessory devices carried by the accessory housing, the driving shafts extending at right angles to the accessory device driving shaft l2 as will be appreciated.

, The gear 24 is fast upon the upper end of the impeller shaft of a cooling liquid pump 21 supported from the lower end of the accessory housing, and having a bearing housing 28 for said shaft which extends upward and into the accessory housing, whereby said pump will be driven by the shaft l2. This pump circulates cooling liquid through cylinder and head jackets of the engine as will be appreciated.

The gears 25, 2B are fast upon the inner ends of the drive shafts of two lubricating oilpumps 29, 30 which are secured in openings 3|, 32 provided in the peripheral side walls of the lower end of the accessory housing, said shafts being supported in bearings 33, 34 extending into said housing. The pumps illustrated are of the type the pumping members of which are intermeshing gears, although any suitable type of oil pump may be used; and each of them is made up of two separate and independent sets of pumping elements. That is, in the oil pumps illustrated each pump 29, 30 comprises a scavenging pump which draws oil from the crank case and discharges it into a storage tank, and a pressure pump which derives its supply from said storage tank and supplies it to the parts to be lubricated. The outer scavenging part 35 of the right hand pump 30 draws oil from the rear end of the crank case through a passage 36 provided in the accessory housing, and discharges it through an outlet 31 inlet 42 for the high pressure from the storage tank through a single inlet 42 and passage 43 within the accessory housing; and

said high pressure pumps discharge through upwardly extending passages 44, 45 provided by partition walls within the accessory housing, by the use of suitable cores as will be understood; and suitable cylindrical oil strainers or filters 46, 41 are provided through which the oil flows and which filters are removable and replaceable through openings at 48, 49 in the peripheral wall of the accessory housing.

The discharge 44 of the high pressure pump 40 is preferably connected with lubricating oil passages which supply oil to the main crank shaft of the engine and to thecrank and piston pin bearings thereof, while the discharge passage 45 of the high pressure pump 4| is preferably connected with other lubricating oil passages which supply oil to the propeller reduction gearing at the front end of the engine, to the cam shafts thereof, and to various bearings for shafts which are supported by and arranged within the upper part of the accessory housing as will hereinafter appear.

The bearings supplied by th high pressure pump 4| commonly offer less resistance to the outflow of oil through or past them than do those supplied by the high pressure pump 40, so that the pressure in the discharge passage 45 is commonly less than that in the discharge passage 44; and the provision of two separate pumps insures that the pressure in the passage 44 which supplies the more important bearings of the engine, and those to which a proper supply of oil is of the greatest importance, will not be affected by variations in pressure more likely to ocour in the discharge passage 45, and may and commonly is maintained at a lesser pressure than the pressure in the passage 95. The outlets 31 for the scavenging pumps WilL'ObViOllSlY be connected with the storage tank not shown by suitable conduits, preferably lengths of flexible hose, and said tank will likewise be connected with the pumps in the same or in an equivalent manner.

The right hand rear part of the accessory housing is provided with large circular openings 50, 5E spaced apart from one another, and 52, 53 designate pump casing members secured within said openings to provide a casing for. a centrifugal supercharger pump the impeller 54 of which is carried by a shaft 55 rotatable in bearings supported by a bracket 56 shown as integral with the forward casing member 52, and the free end of which bracket is supported within an opening in a'transverse web 51' of the accessory housing. The rear casing member 53 has an air inlet elbow 58 formed integrally therewith through which combustible mixture from a down draft carburetor 59 enters the pump; and said mixture isdischarged through a narrow passage 68 between the casing members and into a surrounding chamberBl, which merges with a forwardly directed outlet passage 52 formed within the upperend of the' accessory housing and which passage is in communication with the-mixture supply conduit 53 leading to the several cylinders of the engine; the centrifugal mixture compressor and the mixture passages leading thereto and therefrom being thus combined with other features of the accessory housing into a single unitary structure or device.

The rear end of the crank case 5 has a circular opening, and the front end of the accessory housing has a corresponding opening in a transverse support 64, and within these openings there is a tubular cylindrical combined dowel and bearing sleeve 65 the ends of which enter said openings to thereby position the housing; and which member also forms a bearing for the rear end 66 of a long driving shaft 61 the front end of which is supported by a bearing 68, and has a pinion 59 which is driven by a gear 10 carried by an internally toothed propeller driving gear H having a shaft '32 which carries a propeller not shown; said gear being supported by a large bearing 13. The gear H is driven by a pinion 14 upon the front end of the crank shaft 22 and the long driving shaft 61 extends along a tunnel formed integrally with and at the upper end of the crank case 5.

The rear end 55 of the shaft 81 is hollow, and is provided with internal splines; and 15 designates a second accessory device driving shaft the front end of which is splined and enters the hollow end 66 so as to be driven by the shaft 61.

The rear end. of this shaft is supported in a bearing '86 carried by the supercharger casing member 52; and said shaft has a gear 11 which meshes with a pinion 18 upon the shaft 55 to thereby drive the impeller 54 of the centrifugal mixture supply pump.

The shaft'l5 carries also a bevel gear 19 which meshes with a similar gear upon the lower end of a short driving sleeve 8! supported in bearings 82 adjacent the upper end of the accessory housing, and a shaft 83 driven by this sleeve extends upward and through a passage 84 extending across the mixture discharge passage 52 and is operatively connected with a magneto 85 supported upon the extreme upper end of the accessory housing and secured thereto by bolts 86. The passage 84 and the interior of the accessory housing are placed in communication with the external atmosphere through a breather passage 81 at the upper end of the accessory housing.

The driving sleeve 8| which has the gear 80 has also a second bevel gear 88 so that the two rotate together; and this gear 88 meshes with two gears 89 upon the inner ends of two cam shaft driving members 90, 9|, one for each of the two cylinder blocks, and from which members the cam shafts are driven through shafts 92 and bevel gears 93, 94, the latter being upon the rear ends of the cam shafts of the engine blocks. This driving train is the same for each cylinder block, and the shafts 92 are shown as enclosed in protecting housings 4 which shafts and housings, however, are not parts of the accessory housing; although the cam shafts are 'regarded as accessory devices as they are driven by mechanism carried by the accessory housing. The various gears whereby the cam shafts are driven are so proportioned as to drive them at half the speed of the crank shaft, as will be appreciated,,to thereby secure operation of the engine upon a four stroke cycle.

-The'driving members 90, 9| are rotatable in annular bearing sleeves 95, 96 which are held within passages of like form provided by partition wall elements within the accessory housing, as by having six cylinder studs 91 extending through flanges at the outer ends of said sleeves; and the gear 99 of the driving member 9| meshes with a gear 98 which drives a driving member 99 similar to the driving members 90, 9|, and which is operatively connected with the armature of an electric generator I09 supported by the accessory housing. The driving member 99 like the driving members 99, 9| is rotatable in a cylindrical bearing sleeve "H which is removably supported in a passage leading into the accessory housing; and another accessory device may be supported upon the left hand side of the accessory housing and driven also from the gear 89 of the driving member 90, as the two sides of the accessory housing and the passages within which the bearing sleeves are located are alike and symmetrical as regards the interior partition arrangement for providing for the support of the various driving members which act to drive various accessory devices carried by the accessory housing. The axes of the driving members 90, 9| and 99 extend, as will be noted, at right angles to the axis of the upper accessory device driving .shaft I5.

In view of the premises it will be appreciated that the various accessory devices involved in and necessary to the operation of the engine are all supported by a single accessory housing which is separate from and is secured to the rear end of the crank case, whereby the machining operations necessary to provide for the assembling and positioning of said devices may be performed upon a separate casting which, upon being assembled with the crank case, will be properly positioned to secure the driving of said accessories (through the accessory device driving shafts I2 and 15) from the crank shaft and from-the shaft 61; either directly as regards the accessory devices at the lower end of the housing or through rotating driving members 90, 9| and 99- at the upper end of the housing; the proper positioning of the housing being due to the combined dowel and bearing member 65 and to a dowel I02 which enters a hole in the flange at the front open end of the housing. I

The oil pumps and the cooling liquid pump which are driven by the lower shaft l2 have but little inertia, and may be satisfactorily driven from the rear end of the crank shaft where tor- A sional vibration of the shaft is at its maximum, as

they are little if at all affected by torsional vibration of the crank shaft. Torsional vibration, however, is more objectionable as regards the driving of the magneto, the electric generator, the centrifugal supercharger and, although to a lesser extent, the cam shafts, and the inertia of these parts driven by the upper shaft (and through a gear train which is independent of. the train which drives the lower shaft) is much greater than that of the parts driven by the lower shaft l2 because of the greater mass of their rotating parts and because they are driven at a much higher speed than the oil and cooling liquid pumps; and the effect of torsional vibrationin the crank shaft is obviatedin the driving mechanism for the shaft by, in the first place, driving said shaft from the front end of the crank shaft where torsional vibration thereof is at a minimum and, secondly, by driving through the long shaft 61 which, because of its length (nearly four feet in the twelve cylinder engine contemplated, blocks) absorbs to a very considerable extent if not entirely such torsional vibrations as are imparted to its front end. Having thus described and explained my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an accessory housing adapted to be seecured to one end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine, two accessory device driving shafts located within said housing; means for driving one of'said shafts from one end of the crank shaft of the engine; means for driving the other of said shafts from the other end of said crank shaft; a plurality of accessory devices carried by said housing and having driving shafts which extend thereinto; gearing whereby some of said accessory devices are driven by one of the two shafts aforesaid; and other gearing whereby other of said accessory devices are driven by the other of said shafts.

2. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to one end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine, two accessory device driving shafts located within said housing; means for driving one of said shafts from one end of the crank shaft of the engine; means for driving the other of said shafts from the other end of said crank shaft, said second mentioned means including a shaft extending longitudinally of the engine and throughout the length thereof; a plurality of accessory devices carried by said housing and having driving shafts which extend thereinto; gearing whereby some of said accessory devices are driven by one of the two shafts aforesaid; and other gearing whereby other of said accessory devices are driven by the other of said shafts.

3. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine, anaccessory device driving shaft located within said housing and adjacent the lower end thereof; gearing whereby said shaft is driven from the rear end of the crank shaft of the engine; a plurality of accessory devices supported by said housing adjacent the lower end thereof and having driving shafts which extend thereinto; gearing whereby said driving shafts are driven by said lower shaft; a second accessory device driving shaft located within said housing and adjacent the upper end thereof; gearing independent of said first-named gearing whereby said upper shaft is driven from the front end of said crank shaft; a plurality of accessory devices, other than those first mentioned supported by said housing adjacent the upper end thereof and having driving shafts which extend thereinto; and gearing whereby said last-mentioned driving shafts are driven by said second accessory device driving shaft.

4. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine, and which housing is provided with passages leading into the interior thereof; bearing sleeves secured in place within said passages; accessory device driving members rotatable within said bearing sleeves; an accessory device driving shaft located within said housing: means whereby said shaft is driven from the front end of the crank shaft of the engine, said means including a shaft extending longitudinally of the engine and the rear end of which is operatively connected with said accessory device driving shaft; and gearing whereby said accessory device driving members are driven by said accessory device driving shaft.

'5. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine, a tubular combined dowel and bearing member; holes in said crank shaft'is operatively connected with said accesw case and in said housing into which 'said dowel and bearing member enters to thereby position said housing; a shaft driven by gearing at the front end of the crank shaft of the engine, and the rear end of which shaft is supported within said combined dowel and bearing member; an accessory device driving shaft located within said housing; means whereby said accessory device driving shaft is driven by said first-mentioned shaft; and a plurality of accessory device driving members driven by said accessory device driving shaft. a:

6. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank :case of an internal combustion engine, a tubular combined dowel and bearing member; holes in said crank case and in said housing into whichsaid dowel and bearing member enters to thereby position said housing; a shaft driven by gearing at the front end of the crank shaft of the engine, and the rear end of which shaft is provided with internal splines and is supported within said combined dowel and bearing member; an accessory device driving shaft located within said housing and the front endof which is -splined and enters the rear end of said first-mentioned shaft so as to be driven thereby; a plurality of accessory devices carried bysaid housing; and gearing whereby said accessorydevices are driven by said accessory device driving shaft.

7. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine, a centrifugal mixture compressor formed unitarily therewith and discharging through a forwardly directed passage within the upper end of said-housing; an accessory device driving shaft located within said housing adjacent the upper end thereof; gearing whereby the impeller of said compressor is driven by said accessory device driving shaft; and a shaft driven by gearing at the front end of the crank shaft of the engine, and the rear end of which shaftis operatively connected with said accessory device driving shaft to drive the same.

8. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine. a centrifugal mixture compressor formed unitarily therewith and dis.-

charging through a forwardly directed passage within the upper 'end of said housing; an accessory device driving shaft located within said housing adjacent the upper end thereof; gearing whereby the impeller of said compressor is driven by said accessory device driving shaftpa shaft driven by gearing at the front end of the crank shaft of the engine, and the rear end of which sory device driving shaft to drive the same; a plurality of accessory devices supported: by said housing adjacent the upper end thereof; and gearing whereby said accessory devices are driven by said accessory device driving shaft.

Y 9. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine, a centrifugal mixture compressor formed unitarily therewith and discharging through aforwardly directed passage within the upper end of said housing; an

accessory device driving shaft located within said housing adjacent the upper end thereof; gearing whereby the impeller of said compressor is driven by said accessory device driving shaftya shaft driven by gearing at the front end of the crank shaft of the engine, and the rear end of which shaft is operatively connected with said accessory device driving shaft to drive the same; an accessory device supported upon the upper end 5 of said housing; and a driving shaft driven by said accessory device driving shaft and extending through a passage extending across the forwardly extending passage aforesaid whereby said accessory device is driven.

10. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine, an accessory device driving shaft located within said housing adjacent the lower end thereof; gearing whereby said shaft is driven from the rear end of the crank shaft of the engine; two oppositely disposed oil pumps supported by said housing and the driving shafts of which extend thereinto; gearing whereby said shafts are driven by said accessory device driving [20 shaft; and two upwardly extending oil passages, provided within said housing and through which oil discharged by said oil pumps flows. I

11. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine, an accessory device driving shaft located within'said housing adjacent the lower end thereof; gearing whereby said shaft is driven from the rear end of the crank shaft of the engine; and a plurality of accessory devices supported by said housing and driven by said accessory device driving shaft, said accessories including a cooling liquid pump located below the lower end of said housing.

12. In an accessory housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank case of an internal combustion engine, an accessory device driving shaft within and rotatable in bearings carried by said housing and located adjacent the lower end thereof; gearing whereby said shaft 40 is driven from the rear end of the crank shaft of the engine; a plurality', of accessory devices supported by said housirig and driven by said accessory device driving shaft; and a starting motor carried by said housing and arranged in line with said accessory device driving shaft.

13. In an accessory'housing adapted to be secured to the rear end of the crank case of an in- I ternal combustion engine, an accessory device driving shaft located within said housing and adjacent the lower end thereof; gearing whereby said shaft is driven from the rear end of the crank shaft of the engine; a plurality of accessory de-v Vices. supported by said housing adjacent the lower end thereof and having driving shafts which extend into said housing and at right angles to said accessory device driving shaft; 'gearing whereby said driving shafts are driven by said lower. shaft; 2. second accessorydevice driving shaft located within said housing and adjacent the upper end thereof; gearing'independent of said first-named gearing whereby said upper shaft is driven from the front end of said crank shaft; a plurality ofaccessory devices other than those first mentioned supported by said housing adjacent the upper end thereof and having driving shaft which extend into said housing and at right angles to said second accessory device driving shaft: and gearing whereby saidlast-mentioned driving shafts are driven by said second accessory device driving shaft. 

